The Bayelsa government says it is pursuing the revalidation of the licence for the Atala Marginal Oilfields on Oil Mining Lease (OML) 46 earlier revoked by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
Mr Ayiba Duba, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, who made this known on Monday in Yenagoa, said the government is pursuing an amicable resolution of the issues that necessitated the revocation by the oil industry regulators.
Checks at the OML 46 field indicate that the field operated by Bayelsa Oil Company had been developed up to test production with a crude cargo of 1,000 barrels awaiting evacuation, as the oil company awaits the nod of DPR to commence commercial production.
Recall that DPR had on April 6, 2020 announced the revocation of 11 of the 13 marginal fields licenses it had issued to indigenous oil firms.
OML 46 held by Bayelsa government, and located within onshore swamps in Bayelsa, won in 2013 through a bidding process conducted by the DPR was among the licences revoked for being dormant for over five years.
Dubs told NAN that the state had reviewed the development and decided to work with relevant agencies of the federal government and put measures to meet the requirements in the checklist.
“As a government we are not antagonistic about the revocation because there are many others and some of them have gone to court to challenge the decision, we are not part of them, rather we are seeking an amicable resolution.
“We took time to review the checklist and update the regulatory agencies of steps we have taken to meet the set criteria, and we are hoping to be successful in the ongoing bid for the marginal field license.
“With the level of collaboration and commitment of the present administration, the marginal field would commence commercial production as soon as the licence is revalidated because we have fixed all pending issues,” Duba said.
The federal government as part of its policy of growing the participation of Nigerians in the oil sector decided to return all marginal fields previously held by International Oil Companies (IOCs) to Nigerian oil firms.
A marginal field according to DPR is an oil block with confirmed reserve up to 10 million barrels of crude oil.
It was gathered that Bayelsa government through the Bayelsa Oil Company holds 40 per cent equity in the oil block along with other investors who operate the field.
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, received the state cultural troupe after its victorious outing at the just concluded 31st National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) 2020.
It would be recalled that the Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture emerged overall winners of the festival held in Jos, Plateau State.
While expressing satisfaction with the cultural troupe for their outstanding performance, Governor Diri commended the team for winning the trophy consecutively four times.
His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement, said the governor on behalf of the state government, congratulated and acknowledged the troupe for representing and making the state proud at the national level.
His words: “First, we thank God that our team left Bayelsa, went out there, performed, won and returned safely.
“Secondly, we thank our golden cultural troupe. Now their second name is Winners because they have been winning back to back for the fourth time.
“So may I on behalf of the people and government of Bayelsa State acknowledge and appreciate you for representing and giving us a good name and a good image out there in the larger Nigerian state.
“For today, I won’t say much. You know when you go to fish and you make a big catch, you don’t hide it. When there is darkness and you put on light, you put it on the table. So we are going to put you on the table.”
Senator Diri promised to liaise with the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry as well as the Director General of the Council for Arts and Culture on how to properly appreciate the winning team.
He encouraged them to keep up the good work and practice regularly to sustain the momentum of victories for the state.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Iti Orugbani, while presenting the troupe to the governor, said the team performed excellently well and made history in winning four gold medals and four silver medals out of nine competitive events.
Dr. Orugbani also informed the governor that the children instrumental team has been invited to Paris, France for an international event and that the Plateau State government also invited the team to perform.
Highpoint of the meeting was the presentation of the Presidential Gong to Governor Diri.
In Bayelsa State, some policemen in a patrol van inflicted injuries on four female traders when they opened fire to clear traffic in the area, which has a market.
The incident happened in the Etegwe/Edepie axis of the State capital, Yenagoa and the victims were taken to an undisclosed hospital where they are recuperating.
This was disclosed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Biriyai Dambo while briefing the media on the outcome of the third state security council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa.
He said the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has directed the Commissioner for Health to take over the medical bills and treatment of the victims of the shooting by police personnel.
The Governor at the meeting also constituted a seven-member Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said this is in line with Federal Government’s directive to pardon convicts and decongest the prisons nationwide.
The committee will be chaired by Mr. Biriyai Dambo with other members to be named later.
The Governor commended members of the security council for their proactiveness in averting chaos in the state during the #ENDSARS protests, which turned violent in some other states.
He said the synergy and good working relationship of heads of the security agencies and other arms of government as well as the peaceful disposition of the youths was responsible for the violence-free #ENDSARS protest in the state.
“Let me use the opportunity to announce the constitution of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy. The body will be chaired by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice. The names of other members, statutory and otherwise, will be announced later.
“Let me also thank God, on behalf of the Bayelsa State Security Council, for keeping our state in peace till today. Our Holy Book tells us that the watchman watches in vain if the Lord does not watch over the city.
“Clearly in Bayelsa, God Almighty is helping all the security chiefs and the government. That can only be the explanation that even during the #EndSARS protest, Bayelsa was guided by God’s hands.
“Let me equally thank the youths for their understanding and for jealously guarding the few infrastructure in our state either built by the state government, the federal government or private individuals.
“By this singular act, you have told the world that you love your state and that you abhor violence or anything that will reduce and bring down your own state.
“The #ENDSARS protest did not find a violent space in Bayelsa. I appreciate you and pray that you keep this synergy between you, the Bayelsa government and the people of the state,” the governor said.
Mr. Dambo explained that part of the functions of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee was to advice the governor on applications seeking amnesty for convicts.
“The governor is at liberty to exercise his constitutional powers to act based on the advice sought.
“As you are aware, the Federal Government in light of the Covid-19 pandemic has put a lot of programmes in place at ensuring decongestion of Nigeria correctional centres nationwide.”
He disclosed that heads of the various security agencies at the meeting pledged to ensure the conduct of a violence-free by-election for the Bayelsa Central and West senatorial districts on December 5.
On his part, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Aminu Alhassan, who represented the Commissioner of Police, declared Bayelsa as a no-go area for criminals.
Former President Good luck Jonathan and Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa have called for the immediate adoption of electronic voting system to curb the ugly trend of politicians using thuggery and cultism to win elections in the country.
The former President said over 50 per cent of the problems faced by the country, including insurgency, cultism and corruption, will be addressed with the adoption and effective use of e-voting.
Jonathan blamed the rising insecurity in the country on activities of politicians who were hell-bent on grabbing political power through the backdoor, against the popular wish of the people.
He said: “Our political activities particularly the use of young people as militiamen and thugs and so on, to win elections has increased the security challenges facing our nation.
“Some of the youths they use are so protected that even the police cannot arrest them because they are ‘boys’ to powerful politicians who use them during elections.
“That is why I have always advocated that for us to move forward as a country, we must use electronic voting where nobody will use thugs to win elections’’.
“Immediately we use electronic voting, the issue of thuggery and cultism will drop by at least 50 per cent,” he added.
Jonathan and Diri spoke on Sunday at the Third Synod of the Diocese of Ogbia at St Mark’s Anglican Church, Otakeme in the state.
Represented at the occasion by his deputy, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, the Bayelsa governor urged youths to shun politicians who only use them to achieve their selfish political goals and abandon them afterwards.
He noted that the only way a youth could resist the temptation of going into thuggery and cultism was to love and appreciate him or herself, as a unique creation of God.
Diri, also used the opportunity to call on people of the state to key into the present administration’s prosperity agenda, by embracing agriculture and small scale businesses to better their lot.
“Just like our father (the former President) said earlier, I want to encourage our youths to resist evil politicians who do not mean well for them. If they invite you to carry guns, ask them, where are your children? You must learn to love yourself above any politician.
“For us as a government, we are determined to improve the lives of our people. And our focus is to see how prosperity can be engendered, he said, adding, “Prosperity is not engendered by coming to beg a politician to give you something to eat’’.
Diri emphasized: “The man who teaches you how to fish is better than the one who gives you fish. To be taking fish from a politician every day is to be dependent”.
“So, we are ready to make our youths self-reliant and prosperous by teaching them how to fish in agriculture and other legitimate endeavours,” he explained.
Both leaders made financial donations to the Ogbia Diocese and urged the clergy and laity not to relent in their prayers for the state in particular and the country in general.
Delivering his address, President of the Synod and Bishop of Ogbia Diocese, Rt. Rev. James Aye-Oruwori, cautioned the Federal Government against using its Companies and other Allied Matters Act (CAMA) to undermine the sacred place of the church in society.
He said the theme of this year’s synod tagged: ‘I Am That I Am’ emphasizes the self-existent nature of God, who is in perfect control of all situations and circumstances.
Bishop Aye-Oruwori, who thanked the dignitaries and other attendees of the event, urged Christians not to presume to have known God enough, but strive to serve Him in humility at all times.
The 3-day programme had in attendance the Bishop of Northern Izon Diocese, Rt. Rev. Funkuro Amgbari, his Niger Delta West counterpart, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Oko-Jaja, the Bishop of the Diocese on the Lake, Imo State, Rt. Rev. Chijioke Oti, in addition to several other prominent personalities from within and outside the state.
Another oil leak, the third in six months, has discharged a yet-to-be-ascertained volume of crude oil polluting the Okpoama community and its environs in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
The leak reportedly occurred on Oct. 28 on the 50-year-old Ogoda-Brass crude pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) near the oil firm’s crude export terminal.
Chief Inikio Sele-D, Chairman of Okpoama Kingdom Chiefs’ Council, had earlier said two oil leaks were reported on May 12 and on Oct 8.
Mr Tarinyo Akono, former Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) who hails from Okpoama also said on Monday in Yenagoa that frequent spills from Agip’s facilities had wrought untold hardship on the fishing communities.
He said the entire ecosystem had been devastated, creating hardship for those who rely on marine resources for their livelihoods.
“This is the third leakage in six months and Agip has been crafty in its approach to sealing the leakages.
“It is quite unfortunate that NAOC officials in Bayelsa told the parent company, ENI of Italy that a spillage that has lasted for 21 days and yet to be contained till now spilled only two barrels of crude oil,’’ Akono said.
The Ex-NUJ Chairman said the latest leakage which was discovered on the Oct. 28 was worse than the previous two.
Akono said the impacted communities would take steps to compel the company to compensate fishermen individually and not through community leaders.
“What will be the fate of the women who survive from periwinkle and oyster? What will be the fate of the women who survive from the buttress roots of the mangrove trees from which they make fish drying cards,’’? he queried.
Akono added that the frequent leakages might be as a result of the old age of the pipeline, which has brought its integrity to question.
ENI issued a statement on the Oct. 8 spillage where it said that its response had been hampered by denial of access by host communities.
“Preliminary findings show that the event is a minor spill of less than two barrels and containment measures have been deployed.
“However, community disturbances linked to issues of land ownership involving multiple communities have been delaying our access to the area.
“Regulators and authorities have been duly informed and we are continuing to engage the community to get access to the area,’’ it said in the statement.
The oil firm has yet to respond to the latest leakage.
Sequel to the flattening of the COVID-19 pandemic curve in the state, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has directed the reopening of all public and private schools from Monday, October 5.
The directive covers public and private tertiary, secondary and primary schools across the state.
The primary and secondary schools would resume for their third term.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Committee on Safe Re-Opening of Schools after a meeting with Governor Diri in Government House, Yenagoa.
Speaking to journalists, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mr. Ayibaina Duba, said the government decided that resuming for the third term would redeem the time lost by the students as a result of the pandemic, which necessitated the closure of schools since March this year.
His words: “The third term and session would terminate on December 18, 2020 and a new academic session would commence in January 2021.
“Government has also directed the committee to close down private schools operating below government approved standards. This directive is strictly to protect students from learning under unhygienic environment, where they might be exposed to COVID-19 and other infections.
“What we have done is to ensure that the lost time is regained. Therefore, the government of Bayelsa State under the leadership of Senator Douye Diri has decided with all the critical stakeholders that all schools, both public and private and all tertiary institutions, should resume for classes from the 5th of October 2020.
“It has also come to the notice of government that many private schools are not up to standard and the governor directed the Ministry of Education to shut down such schools.”
The Police Command in Bayelsa says it has begun investigations into the Saturday murder of Karma Agagowei, the Councillor representing Ward 6 of Sagbama Council Area.
The command gave the indication in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Asinim Butswat, on Monday.
He said that on Aug. 29, six gunmen accosted a tricycle conveying the deceased, shot him on the chest and took to their heels.
“The victim was immediately rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
“The Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa, Mike Okoli, led a team of detectives to the scene and also visited and consoled the family of the deceased.
“Investigation is ongoing to unravel the motive behind the unfortunate incident, that took the life of a promising young man,’’ the commissioner was quoted as saying.
Karma Agagowei, Councilor representing Ward 6 Sagbama Council Area of Bayelsa State, has died from gunshots he sustained while returning from a party congress in Yenagoa.
Agagowei was attacked by gunmen along Opolo while returning from a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ward congress on Saturday night.
Agagowei was taken to two different hospitals, Gloryland Hospital and Federal Medical Centre, Yenogoa but was allegedly denied treatment for lack of a police report.
He died shortly afterwards.
Another person, who was with Agagowei at the time of the incident, was attacked with machetes by the hoodlums but fled with the injury.
When contacted, Spokesperson for the police in Bayelsa, SP Asinim Butswat, said the command had not been briefed on the incident.
The Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has nullified the election of Governor Duoye Diri.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Petition Tribunal passed the judgment on Monday.
The election was nullified based on a petition by the Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP), which argued that it was unlawfully excluded from participating in the election.
The three-man panel held that the election was unlawful due to the exclusion of ANDP and its candidate, King George from the governorship election that held in November.
The tribunal, however, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election within 90 days.
According to the tribunal, the INEC has no power to disqualify any candidate for any election.
TNG reports the INEC had in its argument said ANDP’s deputy governorship candidate, David Esinkuma was 34 years old at the time of nomination and therefore did not qualify for the election.
However, the ANDP told the tribunal that David Esinkuma was duly substituted by the party within the allowed time frame, following the notification from INEC that he is under-age.
The tribunal ruled that only a court has the power to disqualify any candidate for any election and that the petition was filed within the 21 days which is the stipulated time for petitions to be filed.
Justice Musa described the action of INEC to exclude the ANDP from the Bayelsa Governorship Election as illegal.
However, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Muhammad Sirajo dismissed the petition in its entirety on technical grounds.
…it’s the fault of the govt., we have not done well, says Bayelsa’s former Commissioner for Health
…HMB should just shut down the facility, says a concerned doctor
Leaky roofs, damaged ceilings, rusty clinic beds, mushroom theatre, and more dilapidation – is the deplorable state of the Odi General Hospital, where patients, who otherwise should live, would die.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the hospital, located in the Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area of Bayelsa State has been abandoned to rot by the State Government over the years.
The implication of the abandonment is not just that quality healthcare delivery is now far-flung from the people of a whole local government area; people living in the area now have to seek alternatives for healthcare services.
Worse is that, given the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) health crisis ravaging the world today, the people of the area have no first point of call when there is an emergency or when a mere need arises, as findings reveal the hospital is the only general hospital available in the local government area.
By implication also, locals now have to travel hundreds of kilometres to get the littlest of healthcare service. But, there is even worse!
This is Odi General Hospital in Bayelsa State
When TNG reporter visited the Odi General Hospital, the facility was nothing to write home about. The hospital that ideally receives referrals from all the healthcare centres in the local government, making it a very strategic hospital for the people of the area, is nothing, but a shadow.
“In fact, some poultry farms are better than the hospital. At a time we were even trying to see whether the HMB would just shut down the facility,” a staff who spoke under the condition of anonymity told TNG.
When TNG visited the hospital, there was, however, an ambulance on ground. TNG met on a phone call, a medical officer. There was also a uniformed nurse on ground, and two ladies dressed in mufti. There was no single patient on sight in the hospital.
Signpost of the Odi General Hospital
At the first instance, standing in front of the entrance to the hospital, the impression was that there will be nobody in this place. The place looked more like a graveyard, deserted. But, on approach, the ambulance and the officer on a phone call were on sight. Also on sight were dilapidated structures, which were later clarified to be doctors and nurses quarters.
“Please do and discharge me, I am not comfortable here,” a patient told an officer at the hospital who asked not to be named.
The female ward of Odi General Hospital in Bayelsa State
TNG reports this is the same hospital the former Governor of the State, Seriake Dickson had in 2015 while flagging off the 58th edition of the famous Odi Ogori Ba Uge festival of Odi boasted to fix. He promised his administration would completely renovate the hospital to improve healthcare delivery in the area.
However, till date, with Douye Diri as the present Governor of the State, the hospital remains in its sorry state, and continued deterioration, and may remain so, long after Governor Diri has left office.
An officer, who granted an interview, but asked not to be named, narrated from genesis to revelation, how the sorry state of the Odi General Hospital came about.
This is the male ward of Odi General Hospital in Bayelsa State
“This place is the Odi General Hospital,” the officer opened up to TNG after much persuasion. After having to calm down, he said, “Most of the structures are dilapidated. Even our office, where we consult, is dilapidated”.
He went further to say, “this hospital is actually the only general hospital in this local government, that is, this Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area. Ideally, the hospital is supposed to receive referrals from all the health centres in the local government. If the case cannot be managed here, then, we can now refer to the teaching hospital at Okolobiri or FMC in Yenagoa.
“But, because of the dilapidated state of the hospital, the turn out of patients is not encouraging. There is an incident that happened here. A patient was brought from Yenagoa to this place for surgery. Getting to this place, the child looked at the hospital and said he cannot enter this place, that “daddy, are you taking me to this place? I can’t enter this place”. They took the child back, to tell you how bad it is”.
The officer told TNG that the Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area has a large population of people and that if the Odi General Hospital were fully functional, there was a considerable number of qualified personnel to cater for the health needs of the people.
“Then, also, except the accommodation and the state of the hospital, there is really nothing much, because the hospital has almost every hands to function well and compete with any hospital in the State. We have four medical officers, plus another Corper doctor, making five doctors in this place. There are six nurses here; then, the other health workers, then, the pharmacists. The laboratory has two scientists and two Corper scientists, making four laboratory scientists in this hospital.
“So, the place is well equipped in terms of manpower, just that the only challenge is the structure. People are discouraged by what they see. Most times, people wonder at this kind of place, if people are still here. They would say, “If I come here to treat malaria, I will still be attacked by mosquitoes”.
“But because the people have seen that the place is dilapidated, they don’t believe that there are qualified hands here. Because when they pass through the gate, they see the place as an abandoned place. So, they don’t even bother to come here to seek care.
“It is only a few of them, who have come here, and they met doctors and nurses, who attended to them very well, that still have the confidence to continue to come here. Or, once in a while they have financial challenges, they can now tell the person, “why not go to the general hospital, there are doctors there” before the person will now come. And when they come, they are amazed that there are actually health workers on the ground, who are even willing to work any time, any day.
“Some people will even confess to you that, in town, the news is different, that if you come here, there is nobody to attend to you. So, it is justified, because if the place, for example now, there are good structures, like the main hospital now, is renovated, painted, maybe there are walk paths in the hospital, there is a good gate there, by the time you are passing the place, you will know that government presence is here. Let it be as if you come to the hospital and there is nobody to attend to you.
“Maybe when we leave now you will now see what I mean by dilapidated. In one of our wards, the main ward, the ceilings have opened up, that even if you were on admission there, you will be afraid that in the next minute, the ceilings might cave in. So, the reason why sick people rarely patronize this hospital is justified,” the medical officer said.
The ceilings of Odi General Hospital are not better than this
He further told TNG that “the thing is the hospital has been in this condition for long. It is not something that just happened recently. Like these structures, these ones have been dilapidated for some years, from 2012 when they had that flood till now, and even before then, the place was already getting bad. So, over time, the people were already having the conception about this place, that this place is not functioning.
“So, some persons, when they are sick, especially the ones that have relatives outside, who can afford treatment outside, their first point of call is usually outside this place. But if the place is functioning the way it should, the community has a good population, and there are some communities linked to the community, I think they would be bringing in patients. It is only once in a while that we have referrals from health centres. Then, inside the town, there are some medicine dispensing stores where the people rather go to manage their health, but when they see no improvement, that is when they come to the hospital. Aside that one, nothing much”.
The doors leading to sections of the Odi General Hospital are not better than this one.
Some residents of the community, who spoke with TNG, including the king, the Amanyanabo of Odi, HRH King Shine Apre, also told the sorry tales of the Odi General Hospital and its impact on the lives of the people.
According to the Amanyanabo of Odi, “The Odi General Hospital has been abandoned to rot. Our people have no alternative here than to seek healthcare elsewhere and the thing is Odi is far from the main town. We have had a case in which we lost a life before they could take the person to a hospital in Yenagoa. If the Odi hospital is functional as it should be, and that person was taken there first, I am sure the person would not have died”.
The narrative of Richman Dinipre, a member of the community was not different. He said, “The hospital is very bad. The residents and staff quarters, and even the main hospital building are dilapidated. Everything is bad there. All the whole houses, everything is bad. We are suffering because of it. There is nowhere for our people to seek medical care. Because the place is bad, our people go outside to receive treatment ordinarily they could have received at the hospital. People are scared to receive treatment at the hospital, but for someone like me, we still go there because it is our community”.
Also, Nelson Odoni, a pastor in the community lamented the state of the hospital, saying “The State of Odi General Hospital is very poor. No life there. No equipment in that place. I do visit the place to pray for people. People are complaining. The personnel there are trying their best, but you know they need equipment to do the job. People who do go there do not complain of the workers but always complain about the dilapidated structures. Once you go there once, you won’t want to go there the next time because of the nature of structures at the hospital”.
A tour of the facility shows the sorry state of the Odi General Hospital as seen in the video below [PRESS PLAY]:
It’s the fault of the government, we have not done well, says Bayelsa’s former Commissioner for Health
Meanwhile, Bayelsa’s former Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimitula Nicholas Etebu, who is the Acting Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Bayelsa Medical University (BMU), has faulted the State Government over the situation of the Odi General Hospital.
While speaking to TNG on some factors that contributed to the disintegration of most of the structures of the hospital, the former Commissioner for Health said, the State Government failed to release funds needed to change the fortune of the hospital. He revealed to TNG that N50 million had been budgeted over the years for the renovation of the hospital.
“You know Odi is in the Niger Delta. When the road was built, the Odi-Trofani road, they sand-filled the road, and it became far and above sea level. So, the hospital now became very far below the level of the road. The road caused some embankment and dyking. When it floods, the hospital floods too. That has contributed to the disintegration of most of the structures.
“I was Commissioner for Health. The State Government had a budget to fix it but unfortunately, the immediate past Governor did not release funds. He could not do much for the paucity of funds. So, that is where it is. We are hoping that the new government will release those funds because it has been in the budget for many years. So, that is the situation. It is not anybody’s fault. It is the fault of the government. The government has not risen up to the occasion,” he told TNG.
The former Commissioner, now acting VC of BMU went further to say that, “Out of the N50 million budgeted, if the government is releasing N10 million a year, it would have gone a long way but no releases were made. So, nothing happened. But I believe the present government, as it is, something positive would be done.
“Ordinarily, it is not supposed to be like that. Budgets do not need to run on the wings and caprices of the Governor. Budgets are estimates that are done by the various ministries and if the budget is to be implemented, it should be so implemented in stages, in phases as the case may be. But in Nigeria these days, it does not happen that way.
“For me as a Bayelsan, we have not done very well. We have done very badly. We have done badly in terms of our developmental indexes. We have the derivation; our allocation is more compared to other States created when Bayelsa was created. They have done well far better than Bayelsa.
“If you go to places like Ebonyi that are created at the same time as Bayelsa, if you see development there, you will be marvelled. Go to Kogi, see development there, you will be marvelled. Yet these States get almost, maybe one-quarter of what we get as monthly allocation.
“If you juxtaposed that with what is happening, it means we have a problem. The problem is that of leadership. When we have good leadership, we will get good development. Bayelsa has not lived up to the money accrued the State”.
Giving an insight into how long the Odi General Hospital has been left to rot, Etebu said, “If I cast my mind back, if I follow the calendar of the government in terms of who has been in government and all that, it has been like that after the destruction of Odi. After the destruction, the hospital, nothing has been done there. So, if you count from then till now, you can now have an estimate as of how long the hospital has been in that state. It has been long.
“I have been in government, I have ran institutions, what I noticed, particularly at the State level, is that there is no maintenance culture. You do not just have a building and you think the building will just remain the same forever. So, there is supposed to be a provision for maintenance budget. No maintenance funds in most of our budgets.
“Nobody talks about maintenance and that goes across board. Come to even the cities, you will see the roads are dilapidated and potholes-ridden. There is the ministry of works but nothing is being done. It is as if nobody is seeing. There is a local government, same thing, the local government does nothing. From the state government down to the local government, there is a disaster in Nigeria”.
HMB should just shut down the facility, says a concerned doctor
Visibly troubled by the state of the Odi General Hospital, the staff who spoke under the condition of anonymity told TNG it would have been better if the Hospital Management Board (HMB) shut down the hospital totally.
“The truth of the matter is that we are tired of the Odi General Hospital. The State Government knows the state of the hospital. The Hospital Management Board (HMB) that posted us there knows the state of the hospital. What we have on ground at the hospital is nothing to write home about. In fact, some poultry farms are better than the hospital.
“The impact of the bad hospital on the lives of the people is something you cannot underestimate. It is very obvious that for the fact that a general hospital is in such a very bad shape and no one seems to be bothered is alarming. The community people cannot enjoy good health services. To worsen the situation, most of them try helping themselves by registering for their BHIS [Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme] at other facilities like the ones in Okolobiri and Sagbama, thereby making the patient turn out to be very very low.
“No matter what you do in that place, some persons come around they look at it and they say, I cannot sleep in this kind of place. No matter how you try to encourage them to say they can receive good treatment despite the nature of the place, they refuse to stay. So, the thing is a lose-lose situation for the community and even the workers that are there.
“At a time we were even trying to see whether HMB can shut down the facility. When they shut down the facility, the government can then do the needful, and then they can now start talking about employing people for the facility afresh. The present condition of the hospital is so appalling. It is so devastating. It is not something anybody can wish for his enemy,” the staff said.
The staff further stated, “I do not know how it got this bad but it is just so bad that the community is really suffering from it because they cannot get quality medical services because the facility on the ground cannot provide that for them. It is not possible. So, the impact is enormous. It is not something they can imagine. You can imagine that antenatal mothers cannot access that place. They end up going to other places to deliver. On their way, some have issues. Some even go where they won’t get help on time compared to if they could access Odi General Hospital.
“Imagine indigenes of the community trying to access the place but they can’t be safe in the facility. They end up patronizing traditional birth attendants, patronizing local health attendants for things that medical officials were posted there to do. The picture is very horrible. It is not something anybody knows when it is going to end. How can a patient stay in a ward and be afraid that a cat or a snake can emerge from somewhere to attack you? There have been occasions when snakes were killed in our wards”.
The battle to revive Odi General Hospital
However, the anonymous staff also spoke with TNG on the way forward for the hospital. He urged the State Government to do the needful.
“The government knows what to do. They should do the needful. Since 2012, apart from then, until now, the place has been this way. The community and the people have lost hope and confidence in the place. Had it been the number of civil servants both active and retired, had it been they all register to use that general hospital, the only hospital in the local government, because of the capitation of BHIS, whether they come or they do not come, the hospital would have been entitled to that capitation.
“We could have been using such resources to be doing little stuff on our own. But, the civil servants preferred Okolobiri and Sagbama because of the state of the hospital, making the recovery level of the hospital even more difficult, because every hospital now is living on BHIS, whether patients come or not. No general hospital is receiving less than N600,000.00 from BHIS. Some are even N900,000.00 and over a million naira. But, Odi is less than N200,000.00. By the time you buy BHIS drugs of N150,000.00, what can you do?
“When I spoke with the king at a time, I told him it is going to be very difficult for the hospital to bounce back. First of all, they have to build new structures and restructure the place. After then, they would have to put town crying and involve all indigenes of Odi, both serving and retired under BHIS, to go back to BHIS and tell them to reschedule them back to their general hospital from wherever they have been partaking in the BHIS.
“That is the only way that place can become lively again. If not, no matter what you do there, people would say the structure is not good so they will have a good reason not to come to the hospital. Second, when you are through with the structure, you will now have to battle with the mind to convince them that the place is better off now and that there are good doctors on the ground.
“Then, we now go to BHIS to seek to transfer Odi people back to their own general hospital. That is what will give that place a boost. Had it been it has been the normal practice that any place that you are working as a medical doctor, you have skills, you will attract patients and people to attend your hospital because they love what you are doing, it is no longer like that. There is no money in town. Everybody is like if you go through BHIS, BHIS will pay your bills so long you are registered under the BHIS. So, everybody is thinking towards that direction. Any hospital that does not have BHIS file, it is very difficult. More so that we are in a dilapidated structure,” he said.
A dilapidated building that is supposed to be the doctors quarters of the Odi General Hospital.
Also, the officer who asked not to be named pointed out to TNG the big challenge of the hospital and urged the government to give the hospital a facelift.
“But one very big challenge we have here is accommodation for the staff. Like, over there, if you look there, you will see two building without roofs. That place is supposed to be the doctors’ quarter and the nurses’ quarter. For now, it means the doctors and the nurses do not have a place in the hospital. For now, the nurses are trying to manage with the other health workers, like the health assistants by managing this other quarter.
Another dilapidated building that is meant to be the nurses quarters of the Odi General Hospital
“On our own part here, we have tried our best, and still trying, to make sure that this place functions. Like in the early part of this month, we did an outreach. The essence of the outreach was like let us have a kind of rapport with the people, where we can discuss with them, and tell them, we have doctors here, we have nurses, we have everything, why are you people not coming. After the outreach, there was a little turn-up, but it is not like how a hospital should be. The local government and even this community are big. There is no way you will say people are not sick, just that they don’t have confidence here, rather their confidence is in somewhere else. Either they prefer the medicine dispensing shops or they move to Yenagoa.
“What the government can do for us is just to give the place a facelift. Once this place gets a facelift, it will begin functioning fully. Previously, before the place got to this extent, the place was actually booming. The hospital was functioning to its full capacity, and then, the place started coming down, until this stage now. Like today now, today is our antenatal. But, how many patients have I seen? Not up to ten in a community as big as this. It means something is wrong.
“The only thing government should do is give the hospital a facelift, and the rest can be sorted out. Once the people see that the place is looking beautiful, appealing to the eyes, they will come, because most persons, for example now, if you are being treated of malaria, and the whole ceiling is open, and even the person that is taking care of the patient is even afraid that the ceiling may fall on them, when you admit the patient, the patient will be like, please do and discharge me, I am not comfortable here.
“The government should just do little renovation and provide accommodation. Once the accommodation is there, people will stay. Everybody will be on the ground. That is the challenge of this place,” the medical officer narrated.
Meanwhile, Pastor Odoni said prayers are that God will visit those in the government so that they can come to change the fortune of the hospital.
“We are praying for God to visit those in the government. God should touch their hearts for them to remember to put the hospital in order because it is the only hospital available here, and could be the best if only the government can put it in order. The workers at the hospital are very active. The problem there is the structures and the equipment the personnel need to work with,” he said.
On his part, the Amanyanabo of Odi, HRH King Shine Apre, while addressing the situation of the hospital with TNG, appealed to the State Government to come to the rescue of the hospital.
“I am making my appeal to the government to come to rescue the hospital. The government needs to come and see the present state of the Odi General Hospital. The government should come. The hospital needs general renovation. The hospital is bad. No good thing in that hospital is acceptable to human living,” he said.
